TREAIGN FUTURE GLORY
LIMERICK have enough time on their side to bounce back from a blank 2020, says Eamonn Rea.
After storming to the League semi-final before the shutdown kicked in in March, John Kiely’s (inset) side were widely fancied to regain the Liam Maccarthy Cup this year after the breakthrough glory in 2018.
But it could well be 2021 before they get the chance to compete for that trophy again.
“Last year I thought we slipped up,” said Rea of a campaign which ended with a semi-final loss to Kilkenny. “We definitely left one after us last year. We can’t turn the clock back now but they were playing well and they were looking good.
“They’re still a very young squad and they have the experience of the last two years behind them as well. That would definitely be an advantage as well.
“There’s nothing you can do about it. To us it’s important but it’s not the most important thing. I mean the fact that everybody comes out at the end of the day safe and in good health and the fewer cases (of coronavirus) we have the better.
“It’s strange, Sean Kelly said it, to be passing GAA grounds and see them all empty and nobody in there whereas at this time of the year they’d be full of young fellas and camogie players.”
All things considered, he doesn’t expect to get the opportunity to see Limerick in action again this year.
“I’ve a feeling it’ll be next year. I’d hate to be negative now and I know everybody preempts that the most important thing is that everybody’s ok and safe and everybody accepts that, we all know that, but John Horan made the point that while social distancing is still a big deal, contact sports are going to be down the line in a big way.
“I don’t like to be negative but you have to be realistic as well.
I’d be hopeful but I wouldn’t be overly enthusiastic either.”